Keep coaches from dictating players’ lives for their gain

Here we go again. Tis the season, you might say.

Spring semesters are coming to an end at universities across the country. With that, students are making plans to graduate. Many of them are football players with eligibility remaining, some of whom might be ready for a change.

One of those football players is Shaq Wiggins, defensive back at Louisville. You might remember him as a freshman at Georgia, when he started eight games in 2013 but transferred to Louisville after a coaching staff shakeup. He followed Todd Grantham there, red-shirted in 2014 as required by NCAA rules for undergraduate transfers, then play extensively the past two seasons under Bobby Petrino.

Oh, and meanwhile, he did everything required of him academically so now Wiggins is about to graduate from Louisville.

But Petrino blocked the way for Wiggins to transfer to Kentucky, Purdue, Notre Dame, Western Kentucky or Mississippi State, which just happens to be where Grantham is now. After some public backlash, Petrino graciously relented and removed Mississippi State from the list.

You’re all heart, Bobby.

“When he said Mississippi State, I was like, it had to be deeper than what it seems to be because Louisville doesn't play Mississippi State," Wiggins said. "It just so happened to be Mississippi State on there, once Coach Grantham left. I really don't know what's his state of thinking or why he chose to put Mississippi State on there. ... I have no idea why. It's really not fair.”

No, it’s not fair. Not remotely fair.

It would be easy to just come down on Petrino. After all, he’s a pretty easy target. If there’s anyone in college football more reprehensible than Petrino, I sure can’t think of whom it might be.

Compare Mark Richt’s comments three years ago when Wiggins left Georgia to Petrino’s now.

Richt: “Shaq and I have been talking over the last few days and a fresh start is what he believes is in his best interest. We respect his decision and certainly wish him nothing but the best.”

Petrino: … crickets

But the problem is much bigger than Petrino. This shouldn’t even be a coach’s decision. The NCAA is also to blame.

Several years ago, the NCAA decided that players who graduate from one university may transfer and become immediately eligible to play without having to sit out one calendar year as undergraduate players must do.

As graduates, they earned that privilege.

But the caveat is they must obtain a release from their former school if they want to play elsewhere.

This issue hit home last year when Alabama coach Nick Saban had to be publicly shamed into letting Maurice Smith transfer to Georgia. And it’s going to happen again this year after Wiggins finds a new home,

Some will argue that restricting players from going to the competition is understandable. Louisville plays Kentucky and Purdue this fall. Well, it would be if coaches held themselves to that standard. Petrino was hired by Western Kentucky after the 2012 season.

“I hope it can be as long as possible,” Petrino said at the time. Turns out “possible” was for one season – 392 days actually – before Petrino bolted for Louisville.

It just so happened that Western Kentucky didn’t play Louisville in 2014. But if they did, do you think it would have mattered?

That didn’t stop Tommy Tuberville from leaving Ole Miss for Auburn.

College players are given one-year scholarships in exchange for a long-term commitment. Their advisors are family members or maybe high school coaches. College coaches have agents and lawyers negotiating their deals.

If Wiggins consults an agent, he will be ruled ineligible.

It’s past time the NCAA confronts it hypocrisy and changes the rule to keep people like Petrino from trying to dictate the lives of players for their own gain.

This story was originally published April 10, 2017 at 9:44 AM with the headline "Keep coaches from dictating players’ lives for their gain."